Sunday, February 12, 2012

It is quite timely that we put automatic watering system in place with current hot spell. Johoreans will talk about a stretch of windy, dry and hot spell for two weeks or so, then wind gets stronger right into March. Pasir Gudang International Kite Festwill be held on 15th February to 19th February 2012 to make full use of the strong wind. Izmar came and put up the system last week. Nadzion, Khairul and a few others came too to discuss about the 2000 chili plant project. Automatic watering system was topic of the day. Suzana even suggested using monsoon drain water.... which will be feasible once eco-trail project roll out.

This is a different sprinkler, where water come out from long plastic tube through tiny holes. It somehow cool down the temperature around garden plot, wet the soil and I am sure plants love it. It's twice daily, morning and evening. The system is about a water tank, a pump, electronic timer and many pipes....

automatic watering system: our garden in Johor

automatic watering system: bangchik and kakdah helper!

Our nephew Hakim and wife Aida came last week with their three young children, Ain, Adam and Ayu. Ain came out and play with the jet of water, when it was switched on..., the other two, a bit young to bother.... I am Tok Lang to them, but somehow Ain and Adam resort to their own version "atok"...... To Ain, it was fun walking through water jets, as if water wouldn't touch her.... and she kept asking "apa ni?" or "what's this?"

Saturday, February 4, 2012

It is more of the limited space to grow plants and the intention to try out as many vegetables as I can, that it ended up as only three tomato plants this season. Many germinated, more than a dozen...., I let them stay in germinating tray for a week, until I am sure those transplanted on the ground grow without problem. That has always been the case with seedlings, there will be extra, and eventually end up as mulch.

I am trying something special as stakes. Electrical conduit cut into 4 ft lengths. They are equipped with caps, to avoid mosquito breeding in the conduits. It would be nice, if conduits come in all sort of colour, green, orange, blue.....

Tomato: three tied up to electrical conduits. [31.1.12]

Tomato: buds already appearing [31.1.12]

Tomato: White hairs protecting the young buds. [31.1.12]

Tomato: tiny buds on third tomato plant [31.1.2012]

Conduit: with cap on

Conduit

..One tomato plant wilting

Today, out of a sudden one wilted. Kakdah noticed that while walking through the garden to the cloth lines. She texted me this " satu tomato udah layu..." or one tomato had wilted. I have seen this before, tomato plants deciding to end early, without signal, wilt, dry up and die over days. At the beginning, it looks normal wilting during hot weather. When only one plant suffers out of many, definitely that is not normal hot weather wilting......

Tomato wilting [3.2.2012 at 2.30pm]

Three tomato plants to start with,

one is already suffering from verticillium wilt (I think) and

with spare seedlings all gone into compost heap, I am already thinking what to do with soon to be empty spot.... kale?, onions?, zinnia?, marigolds?......[ these are little seedlings waiting to be transplanted on designated locations.]

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Continuity of chili growing from Tanah Merah to Pasir Gudang. Seeds from ripe chili taken along to Pasir Gudang. A simple rule of thumb with chili centil is a month as seedlings, another two months in vegetable bed, then they are ready for the first harvest.

Now, it is another 17 days to go.

Sow:- 10 Nov 2011

Germinate 17 Nov 2011

Transplanted 17 Dec 2011

Expected harvest 17 Feb 2012

chili centil, another 17 days to ripen

chili centil. with onions at the back

chili centil

chili centil

Soil had been thoroughly mixed with compost and organic fertiliser, a few inches below the surface. I sprayed liquid fertiliser twice and that's it. The plants don't really grow big and tall..., but they are managing, healthy looking..., and ready for the first harvest 17 Feb. Onions placed in between rows are growing alright, and to a certain point, I think they had ward off potential pests away. While weeding yesterday I saw one, a single white fly, darting lazily. I know, the battle is about to begin.